polygonum Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun diverse genus of herbs or woody subshrubs of north temperate regions
    genus Polygonum.

WordNet

Po*lyg"o*num noun
Etymology
NL., fr. Gr. a kind of plant; many + the knee, a joint of a plant. So called in allusion to the numerous joints.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A genus of plants embracing a large number of species, including bistort, knotweed, smartweed, etc.

Webster 1913